The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-08

of anything has taken place save in the pen
itentiary, which has been improved by the
removal from it of prominent" counter
feiter and other criminals of Democratic pro-
clivities, who have been kindly pardoned.
The "reformers' are far less happy than they
had anticipated.
THE SENTINEL AND THE INSANE HOSPITAL.
| If our esteemed contemporary, the Sentinel
were whirling dervish, it could hardly spin
around faster than it has done in the matter
| of the Insane Hospital. When the report of
| the Civilservice Reform Association first
appeared the Sentinel called it "a batch of old
campaign charges revived" 1t said: 1.-THE
| promised sensation is not likely 70 accompany
| it, as the findings to a great extent, are
simply the reiteration of charges that burdened
the columns of the partisan press two years
ago. and which are used biennially as Repub
| lican campaign material" With this bluff,
| it was proposed in Harrisonan style to stife
the whole thing at its birth. But this infant
could not be silenced easily. The cry
heard, and a murnur of indignation arose
every hOT6 HSIOlC LItdlIHcHt was
necessary, and Dr. Harrison himself was
called in to prescribe, and to crush his
accusers with the weight of his rhetoric and
his denials.
The Sentinel next published "a Complete
Defense-Presdent Harrison, of the Benevo-
lent Institutions, Refutes the Republican
Slanders-The Lies of the Foulke Committee
Nailed" But an examination of this extraor-
binary document showed that the most impor-
tant charges were not even denied. On the
following day the committee published reply
calling attention to the admitted facts. A
copy of this was sent to the Sentinel, which
published an editorial entitled, 1.-The Sentinel
Refuses to Print It." saying, 1T is no bust
ness of this paper to befriend the Republican
party" On the following day the Journal
modestly suggested that it was the first time
it ever knew paper to announce that it was
afraid to print reply to article to which
it had previously given currency the
avowed ground that if its readers should see
it the result would be detrimental to the
party of which it was an organ. Upon this
the Sentinel went off into an epleptic fit,
which has shattered its reason ever since. 1t
foamed at the mouth in this fashion:
IA contemplate lie in every syllable. You,
you hypocrite pirate of fairnessR Your issue
of Saturday reeks with blackgu ardism. You
have printed both the screeds of this Foulke
committee, headed it is by man VINO has
not even the common sympathies of humanity
to commend him, and you have neither the
grace nor the courage to print President Har-
risons refutation of the detestable SANDER
conceived and perpetuated by this shiny Re-
publican reptile. You stand upon house
top and, with the whites Of your eyes turned
to the sky, spit venom on honorable men in
the name of heaven and the Republican
party, etc.
Eut the more the Sentinel shrieked and
sputtered the worse things got to be. Even
the old mossbacks, who never saw any other
paper, began to think that there must be
something the matter to give rise to such
commissions. Dr. Harrison is again called
upon and publish es a second reply entitled:
Answered in Detail-No Disea sed Meat and
No Cruelty" This is to settle the matter
finally. But it has no better luck than the
first attempt. The committee now publish
the source of their information concerning the
it turns out to be no less a person
than DR.. Fletcher. The subject is
now becoming too dangerous to handle.
Some more direct discussion of the report of
the committee was engaged in. The Democ-
racy, however, thought that flank movement
against the committee might safely be made,
SO they got the State Board of Health to go
out to the asylum and report that everything
was in good condition. Upon this report the
Sentinel announces: ''The Foulke commit
tee has been smashed. The people discounted
its sincerity from the first, and they will now
have little patience with any one who may
attempt to circulate the falsehoods which
formed the basis of its reports" This crush
ing argument, however, derived from an ex-
animation of two or three hours, did not seem |
quite adequate to meet charges Of mismanage-
ment which had extended over several years.
The people were so unreasonable that they |
could not understand how even the Board of |
Health could look at the asylum wards to- day |
and certify that there was cruelty
ruption week ago. This official exonera-
ZION, as IL was Cdueuy WAS tuo /
Sentiners last effort. 1t formed the |
basis of a vast amount of campaign
oratory. But somehow things did not turn
out right. The Sentinel had predicted that
'The impudence of this com mittee of Repub-
lican agents will be rebuked by the voters of |
Indiana at the polls next November" But |
the rebuke was administered to the asylum |
instead. Things had gone desperately wrong.
The Sentinel had found out by this time that
while speech might be silver silence was
eigh teen-carat gold. So the Legislature met